Vandalizin' yo fashions

Posts Tagged: ‘death’

We haven’t even made it more than a month into 2014, but I already have my list–my list of new and/or fast developing brands and designers I’ll be keeping an eye on in the coming year. In other words, here’s a look at who’ll be getting most of my money in 2014… This is going to be a year full of bold snapbacks, sophisticated casualwear, edgy otaku swag, and not to mention, some lolita sweetness. Take a look at five brands it’s time to get on your radar.

Our subcultural landscape has become so flooded that there are an increasing amount of discrepancies over whether recently emerging subcultures truly exist or whether they’re simply hipster indulgences taken too far. Just because the New York Times wrote about Seapunk, does that really make it a thing? And do I need to acknowledge Street Goth just because people blog about it?

While these are both questions up for debate, I’m certain there’s one thing we can all agree on, and that is the legitimacy of the underground Mummy Punk scene, and the need for Mummy Punk to grow and expand into a more visible subculture.

Unlike jokey flash in the pan subcultural movements, Mummy Punk is not only grounded in fashion, but also music, history, and cinematic lore. But while I could regale you with a long essay about the history, you’re most likely here for the fashion, so here’s a short, basic primer for those new to the scene:

The Fashion: While there is no absolutely definitive Mummy Punk look, the style is often defined by deconstruction, asymmetry, tattered fabrics, bandage-print, and gauze.

The Black Diamond Bridge is pretty much visual perfection, so I was glad to finally utilize it in a shoot where I was behind the camera. This may have been one of my favorite shoots. There wasn’t too much pre-planning; people showed up, I threw some wardrobe options all over the floor, we winged the makeup and the only concrete plan was “we’ll shoot on the bridge,” which I think was to our benefit. I’m starting to realize there can definitely be such a thing as too much planning, and sometimes there’s a sense of satisfaction that comes with figuring things out along the way.

Ugh, major technical difficulties lately, so I apologize for the lack of blog posts in the last two weeks. But my latest photoshoot, featuring the witchy, Maria Vondasblut, should make up for it.

This was a fabulous project to work on. All credit goes to Maria on this one. She showed up to my house with a sea of gorgeous black dresses and her monstrous makeup kit. While I hung out with a friend, drinking black coffee and talking about the intensity of Robert Smith, I left her to work her magic.

Motorcyclists, horror punks, leather enthusiasts, fashionable bandits… While custom leather masks may not be a standard, every-day accessory, I can think of at least half a dozen reasons to work something like this into your wardrobe (okay, perhaps it’s more of a lifestyle choice, but still).

Bloodmilk’s tagline is “Supernatural jewels for surrealist darlings,” and I couldn’t put it better myself. These ritual, alchemy, and Victorian mourning-inspired pieces, are individually handmade for each creepy kid that orders them. They’re lovely and I want the owl skull necklace…

Lady Amaranth’s look is so old-school traditional goth, and I love it. She’s quite the poster-girl for the subculture, seeing as she’s been featured in publications such as Goths, Gothic Art, and Gothic Magazine, and has modeled for Gothic Tiaras, The Gothic Shop, Drac-in-a-Box, and Dark Elegance Designs, just to name a few.

Sorry if it seems like I’m trying to overload you with the word “goth”…I just want to make sure you understand her exceptionally dark credentials. And I have to add that she’s 30-years-old, and any time I see models beyond the 19-22 age range, I get psyched. You can find out more about Lady Amaranth on her website.